Fluoropolymers are widely used in industry for a variety of applications. Example applications include mechanical and electrical components; fiberoptics; as a non-stick agent in the manufacturing of cooking utensils and as oil, water and stain repellents in upholstery production. Inhalation of airborne fumes during manufacturing of any of the example applications can cause polymer flume fever. Within hours of exposure to airborne fumes, symptoms of polymer flume fever can include dyspnoea, pyrexia, nausea, vomiting, unproductive cough, pulmonary edema, peripheral blood leucocytosis, hypoxaemia, alveolitis and alveolar collapse. Within days of exposure, reactive airway dysfunction and acute respiratory distress syndrome can occur.
Hydrocarbon based waxes are commonly used in ski waxes. Oftentimes the hydrocarbons are used alone or together in combination with fluorocarbons and other chemical products to reduce the friction between the sporting device and the surface with which it makes contact (snow, water, etc). For example, waxes are often applied to equipment for use in skiing, boarding, bobsledding, rowing, sailing and etc. When wax is applied to sporting equipment, release of the hydrocarbon molecules creates an environment similar to that of smoking. Hydrocarbon levels in these environments are several hundred times more than the acceptable safe limits for inhalation (based on governmental industrial hygiene standards).
Application of waxes to sporting equipment is generally accomplished through application of heat, such as by iron, torch, hot air and etc. Oftentimes, overheating of waxes can occur when applying the waxes to sporting equipment. If waxes containing fluropolymers are overheated, the molecular bond of the fluoropolymer breaks down and a fluorine ion becomes airborne. Free airborne fluorine is toxic and carcinogenic.
In general, application of fluoropolymer and hydrocarbon waxes are accomplished by individuals and/or wax technicians in enclosed spaces in various environments, such as individuals' homes, equipment rental businesses, huts located near recreational areas where the equipment is used and at major sporting competitions, such as the Olympics and World Cup events. In a typical competition scenario, each team is given an enclosed space for applying waxes to their equipment. This space (often an individual room) is an area that is separated from other teams. Privacy in regard to waxing techniques and products are highly desirable and necessary for each team so as to protect individual team waxing strategies. Therefore, a typical wax environment has athletes and wax technicians from the same team sharing the same enclosed space.
At this time, very few international enclosed spaces for waxing have ventilation systems. However, sometimes these enclosed spaces are supplied with a conventional updraft exhaust system. Updraft exhaust systems simply draw toxins into the breathing path of the wax technician and out into an environment external to the wax application environment. Since fluoropolymer particles degrade to produce phosgene, fluorine, hydrofluoric acid and other toxic byproducts, wax fumes are mostly invisible, odorless and tasteless. The wax technician is only aware of the removal of other airborne particles, such as hydrocarbons or smoke, which are toxic in of themselves.
These conventional exhaust systems have proven to remove a high percentage of hydrocarbons as can be seen with the naked eye, however, it is unknown how effective the updraft exhaust system is in removing invisible, odorless and tasteless particles that are also toxic. In particular, it is unknown how effective an updraft exhaust system is in removing fluorine ion particles, which are heavier than ambient air. In addition the external exhausting of these particles poses a substantial health and environmental risk to persons and wildlife in the vicinity of the exhaust ports. Although wax technicians could use respirators when applying fluoropolymer waxes, respirators are cumbersome, hot, uncomfortable and visually impair one's ability to see work in detail. The respirators are also often not maintained adequately in terms of frequency of cartridge filtration changes so as to render them effectively useless. Respirators are also are not fitted properly or maintained in a manner that effectively protects a user.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.